Grimsby
August 25, 2021
HM 152. Grimsby - once the largest fishing port in the world!
But for one man - Patrick Salmon of @alfredenderby Fish Smokers - I would have dismissed Grimsby as a sad and run down place. However his 100 year old business is booming as I found out when I knocked on the door of his interesting looking smokery (photo 3) in the heart of Grimsby's old dock area known as The Kasbah.
The next day I joined Patrick at 5am to buy 500 fresh haddock at the nearby Fish Market (Video 6). They are filleted, soaked in special brine and hung in one of several "smoking houses". Sawdust is lit at the base, smolders for 12 hours and the fish are gently smoked. Each of the five houses are held at slightly different temperatures, the hottest of which is named Elizabeth Hurley... photo 8... who is also a good customer!
Grimsby's heyday of a white fish port are over - in 1976 the last "Cod War" ended 500 years of unrestricted fishing by British vessels around Iceland, which is where the Grimsby trawlers fished. Today all the fish comes direct from Iceland and Norway in chilled containers, ironically getting to Grimsby market faster by way of lorry and ferry!
What has been left is a massive fish processing industry with 5,000 people still employed by companies such as Youngs Seafood and of course five small smoking houses which have a "Protected Geographic Indication".
I was shown the rest of the port by APB's Assistant Dock Master Darren Briggs (photo 9). This included the iconic 1000 ft tall Hydraulic Tower which is such an iconic landmark for Grimsby. Built to house water to operate the lock gates, it now stands as a welcoming landmark for all seafarers entering the Humber as well as for police snipers doing security exercises!
Thank you Patrick and Darren for opening my eyes to this famous town.... and in particular for the amazing smoked haddock and smoked salmon we enjoyed on Good Dog over the next few days! www.alfredenderby.co.uk
But for one man - Patrick Salmon of @alfredenderby Fish Smokers - I would have dismissed Grimsby as a sad and run down place. However his 100 year old business is booming as I found out when I knocked on the door of his interesting looking smokery (photo 3) in the heart of Grimsby's old dock area known as The Kasbah.
The next day I joined Patrick at 5am to buy 500 fresh haddock at the nearby Fish Market (Video 6). They are filleted, soaked in special brine and hung in one of several "smoking houses". Sawdust is lit at the base, smolders for 12 hours and the fish are gently smoked. Each of the five houses are held at slightly different temperatures, the hottest of which is named Elizabeth Hurley... photo 8... who is also a good customer!
Grimsby's heyday of a white fish port are over - in 1976 the last "Cod War" ended 500 years of unrestricted fishing by British vessels around Iceland, which is where the Grimsby trawlers fished. Today all the fish comes direct from Iceland and Norway in chilled containers, ironically getting to Grimsby market faster by way of lorry and ferry!
What has been left is a massive fish processing industry with 5,000 people still employed by companies such as Youngs Seafood and of course five small smoking houses which have a "Protected Geographic Indication".
I was shown the rest of the port by APB's Assistant Dock Master Darren Briggs (photo 9). This included the iconic 1000 ft tall Hydraulic Tower which is such an iconic landmark for Grimsby. Built to house water to operate the lock gates, it now stands as a welcoming landmark for all seafarers entering the Humber as well as for police snipers doing security exercises!
Thank you Patrick and Darren for opening my eyes to this famous town.... and in particular for the amazing smoked haddock and smoked salmon we enjoyed on Good Dog over the next few days! www.alfredenderby.co.uk